Actor and activist Sean Penn is a guest on "Piers Morgan Tonight" this evening, and talks about the 2012 election, Haiti (and his foundation) and more. He specifically addresses the Occupy Wall Street protests that are growing nationwide. "It resonates a great deal, and in many ways," he tells Piers Morgan. "I applaud the spirit of what's happening now on Wall Street. I hope that increased organization can come to it."

Penn says the country needs to give the protests some time to evolve. "I think you have to be a little patient with something like this being organized," he says. Watch the full interview tonight, 9pmET/PT.

soundoff(91 Responses)

Connie Driscoll

I can't wait to see tonight's show with Sean Penn. His group in Haiti, JP HRO, is doing tremendous things for the community and is a great example of how to do things right, that one person can make a difference. Sean's pretty terrific as an advocate and activist - and of course, an actor. Piers, I do enjoy your show quite a bit. You have good guests and your style is very classy. I love that you mention what you'll be asking a guest after the commercial break. You show a great deal of courtesy and class. Five minutes until your show with Sean! Ciao! Connie Driscoll

Sean Penn for President! Of course he will have to up against corrupt congressmen and senators that owe their fannies to their rich corporate backers who run the Tea Party. Our current President can not get anything done because Congress will not do their job.

I thinkk you have that backwards. The rank and file demos and repubs are the ones owned by the corps. The tea party is an organization that has evolved from the ground up. The corps fear them more than you do.

Melanie, you are a joke and so is your tool Sean Penn who continously endorses dictators like Hugo Chavez and Fidel castro. This is the same lunatic that said that Iran is a great place to live but off course would never live there because the hypocrite enjoys his riches and running his loud mouth in this country. Get a life! for any of his good works, this is all for show as he always has to have a camera on him and has to make political statements. His works have an agenda and they are not from the heart

Your claims about Sean Penn, such as that he said Iran is a great place to live, sound questionable at best. He would have no reason to make such a statement. If you can't back up your claims with evidence, you're just shooting off your mouth. RE people such as Hugo Chavez, Penn probably indicated that the relationship between Chavez, Venezuela, and the U.S. is more complex than it looks on first glance.The U.S. has a track record of propping up dictatirs, then villainizing them when they no longer do the U.S.'s bidding (e.g.,see Saddam Hussein). One thing is for sure: you're in no position to be telling someone else to get a life.

Sean, I applaud the good things you do. And, I don't mind that you criticize U.S. military involvement in the Middle East. It is your right. But, be fair. You addressed the issue in Libya as though it only involved its citizens. Libyan people that have rebelled against their nation's dictator have done much and sacrificed much. But, they would not have accomplished this without the NATO's help and the continuous bombings of that regime's establishments. That movement would have been squashed like every other without our help. So, don't ignore the fact that our bombs were used in this situation, which you view as positive. So, when you criticize our military actions in Iraq, that's fine. But, be fair enough to say that our military actions in Libya were utilized in the right manner. Don't just pretend those didn't happen because the outcome worked out.

Which military of the world have to support wall street occupation. What about Russia and China military supporting this. For the same reasons, US military supported many cops against democratic governments in south America. What a hypocrisy? However, I agree with your freedom of opinion.

I applaud you Mr. Penn. You have a big heart, you speak the truth and you have a wisdom that reflects your spirituality. Stay the path for what you seek will be. Bravo. If only there could be 2 of Mr. Penn I'm sure his connection with the media/film industry could in some way help rebirth true, unbiased, uninfluenced reporting by the mainstream media. Thank you Mr. Morgan for asking the right questions. Respect.

I was watching CNN and saw this gut Pier Morgan who sounds like an idiot. Along with Sean Penn idiot who says the Tea Party is get the "N" word party of out of White HOuse. Moron the Tea PArty back Herman Cain who is in the lead for GOP nomination. And for your info Herman Cain is Black..... Guess Penn has smoked to much Marijuana in his life. And Pier Morgan could you hide how Liberal you are c'mon be a little objective. Both morons...

That is your best argument. You are a tool. Sean Penn is a loud mouth hypocrite whose ridiculous comments go unchallenged by the left wing media. Penn is too chicken shi* to be interviewed by any real journalists. This jerk once said Iran is a great place to live, but would he ever live there, of course not. He talks shi* along with that slob Michael Moron sitting on his 50 million taking advantage of fools laughing himslef to the wall street banks. What brain dead folls you all are.

Read something about Piers(whatever his name is), not a bright guy, what's with CNN hiring all the losers like him, Joy (mouth) Behar, Kathy Griffin (ugh) No wonder Fox is #1 in cable, can't stand these people. It's not just their blatant biased interviews, but their intelligence is geared more toward entertainment TV than serious issues.

As for s. penn? He is no authority on anything. Can't act worth a damn, as if that were an accomplishment, no wonder CNN lost all credibility. It's not news anymore. It's far leftist propaganda. Nothing more.

If you check out Mystic River and Dead Man Walking S. Penn Can act; I would like him to travel to Tehran , give a short travelogue , ask some women there how they like living as second class people, hmmmm; the lesson : everyone has an opinion

Mr. Michael you clearly have no clue what you're talking about primarily you have no common sense , secondly prior to making posts about politics learn proper grammar and spelling that would make you look a lot less stupid.

Thank you Teresa. I am not personaly a member of the Tea Party, but I have friends and family who are (and they are neither racist nor being controlled by "Corporate America.") I agree, having Herman Cain as their front runner.proves Sean Penn's claim of racism wrong. I have heard Tea Party activists are fed up with Democrats and Republicans alike who have mis-managed our government.

Can we please use the term "socialism" or "socialist" correctly? Socialism is not simply defined as offering social programs such unemployment insurance, welfare, healthcare, etc to a given population of people. Canada, for example. is NOT socialist. Yes social programs are provided however, the government does not have full control over absolutely everything and not all utilities are publicly owned. Not to mention that the distribution of wealth is not equal. There is a rich, a poor and a middle class.
In a truly socialist society wealth and power are all equal and EVERYTHING is controlled by the government and distributed equally amongst it's people.
Wikipedia provides quite a nice definition. Please refer to it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism

I agree with the definition and socialism is exactly what people like Freeman, Penn and this administration–and by extension, the Democratic Party–want, whether they're aware of it or not. All we hear today is class warfare, another industry being taken over or regulated out of existence, and complaints about "fairness" when 100% of the taxes are paid by 50% of the citizenry. IT's a surreal world leftists inhabit and one that can only exist with coercion–either through regulation or rationing (including creating false markets like they have done with healthcare), and, inevitably both when the leftists run out of money for their schemes. The USA will become a 3rd world country if the fantasies of Penn/Freeman/Obama/the Democratic Party become reality.

I would like to thank you for having Sean Penn tell us that our thoughts are simple. Having made many movies over the
years has enabled him to think above the very people who have made him insanely rich. While I agree with alot of his
opinions, it is obvious that the ultra rich on the left are just as out of touch with reality as the ultra rich on the right.

And why are we going to listen to Sean Penn, ex husband of Madonna who spent how many millions on a superficial wedding only good for the media exposure. this spoiled little dude knows nothing about a hard life, NOTHING. Mr. Penn I'm a black man, please don't help us.

This man you are calling spoiled has been involved personally working and helping many,after the camera lens is covered. Many talk, Sean Penn talks the talk and unlike others he walks the walk. Have you made a life better today?

As a matter of fact I do each and everyday, as I work with street people. Sean Penn you might remember married Madonna and spent millions on security to keep the common folk out so please lady learn before you open you mouth !

Sean admitted that life was different before his experiences in Haiti. He didn't truly see what was going on, the suffering, until he went there and then it truly hit him. It is because he was a well-paid actor that the experience was offered up to him and he took it. while most of us druge on with the same low paying job as before and know that we are helpless to do much more, he took the initiative and did something. Sometimes a blessing is in the disguise of fame and fortune. He has made amazing changes in the lives of people who need help. And that is the only thing that matters.

Who said he's done great things? Sean? Wouldn't doubt it. That's the way the left works. Lip service and then make everybody else pay up so they feel better. I'd like to see his income tax return and see just how much he truly "helps." Liberals are known for talking a good game and doing nothing (see our current POTUS).

piers, I admire you for all of your accomplishments and I would say the same about sean penn (I will continue to watch both of you). I also admire the work that sean penn is doing personnally in Haiti and elsewhere (although I do know others who are equally admnireable but whom will never have a platform on your show). what has always rubbed me wrong is your consistent style at trying to bridge the gap between hollywood and politics. call me synical and probably not sympathetic to your need for ratings but I don't accept one word of any hollywood actor as being anything but self-promotional and of course, none of us should believe the motives of any career politician regardless of affiliation. Sorry, call me stodgey but news & opinion is different than hollywood gossip. as I said, while I will continue to watch.

I am usually comfortable watching the show but it sickened me to sick there and watch Piers Morgan gush over Sean Penn while he classifies the entire Tea Party as racists who only want tio "get the n-word out of the white house". I do not belong to or agree with a lot of what the Tea Party stands for but I am tired of these ultra liberal Hollywood morons who think that the only people who have the right to an opinion are themselves. Hank williams is an idiot but he says something stupid and loses his job. Sean Penn says stupid things and people think he is a wonderful brave person withb great insight. If it wasn't for his money he would just be a poor broke moron with a big mouth. Piers Morgan has disappointed me greatly bu letting Sean Penn have the "bully pulpit" without at least calling him out on it.

Can't fault anything Sean Penn has said tonight. However, I am a writer, a political analyst in that vein, a very "in-tune-with-things" person , myself. I am writing a book; in fact, two. I have also been working as a server in restaurants to actually make money in life happen, right now. Have "waited' on Sean Penn at least three times. If it had been once, I would , perhaps, have thought he was preoccupied. Still. Three times, when I asked him for his order, he could not be bothered to even look up and address me. His (then) wife had to order for him, clearly uncomfortable about that. Worked out with her at my gym. A lovely woman. She did not know how to apologize for his lack of manners. I only say this to point out that while some people may take on great causes, and even be effective about them, really, charity (call it what you will) begins at home. Am not that interested in hearing about his great contributions to people in other countries (deserving as they are; and I am doing my own bit for them, as well) if he cannot give the same respect to people in his everyday world. This may seem petty, but it goes to character. I may seem unimportant to you right now. However, one day, soon enough, I may be a guest on your show.

Piers will you please stop speaking over your interviewees and listen to what it is they have to say – believe it or not they are more compelling than you think you are. I thought Sean Penn showed admirable restraint as he was talked over even as he was attempting to answer a previous question. I hoped you would be an improvement on the sloppy Larry King – but so far, I cannot stay watching the program because every time I have watched, you have done the same thing. Learn to listen and show respect for your guest Piers – you don't have to compete or parade your intellect.

Appeared on 'Liittle House on Prairie', only because his 'DADDY DIRECTED IT A FEW TIMES'

penn is a stupid, low life tool for the democrat party, no accomplishments, high school grad thinks he is an authority on politics and smarter than those with advanced degrees, but then again, penn is a high school graduate, never bothered to educate himself, go to college, has no clue how stupid he is, just a loudmouthed uneducated tool.

You are so off base it isn't even funny. To think that a degree, advanced or otherwise is a prerequisite to anything in life (with the exception of a doctor in medicine) is foolish. A degree is something you purchase. That is all it is. If you have the money, you can almost any degree you want. Certainly Sean has the money to buy degree's. The most succesful people I know in business and in life have no degree whatsoever. And I know a lot of peeople who are fools who have advanced degrees. And although I don;t know you, you are most likley one of them.

Please don't insult me with Sean Penn's economic opinions on CNN. How about a Nobel Prize winning economist's opinions on the economy? The caption "Penn: Capitalism Not Working" cracked me up. Capitalism is working pretty darn well for the likes of Penn, Moore, Sarandon, Jolie, (insert your own self-righteous celebrity millionaire who thinks the world should be subjected to their naive politics). If Penn is truly anti-capitalist, why doesn't he refuse his million dollars plus per year and work for a living wage like the rest of us? It frightens me that others here don't see through this guy's b.s and naivete, regardless of political persuasions. I am a teacher, Sean, and since you claim to be so concerned about the "real people," I am sending you an open invitation to trade jobs and salaries with me for a year. Better yet, trade places with a Venezuelan teacher for a year (without access to your buddy Hugo's luxuries).

Watching and listening to two men who consider themselves smarter than "simple minded Republican", I know exactly where these two will be meeting up after their time on earth, you going to need some ice to cool yourselves with. Arab spring, it more like mirroring itself to Iran. What these commie protesters want is to break and bring America to its knees, NO! I know the true evil that pushes for collective salvation and to get to that place where people have to shed themselves of their faith to God. When Harry Belefante talked about Herman Cain, it disgusted me. How can a person that leans to the commie left, perceive themselves to care about the "people", yet you are only half a person if you are a conservative. You lefties are actually going back to your original roots, I've studied who you really are. You are the Robert Byrds, Al Gore Sr.'s, the Bull Connors of yesterday. I looked back, didn't have to go that far back, more like 50 years back. You are not who you say you are, anyone just has to read a simple archive to find out for themselves. I will leave you with the link, read it, if you can handle the truth. Your so called "movement" is no surprise to those who have planned out the dates of the so called "movement". Van Jones, with his own words and Stephen Lerner has already given the details, also his own words. This movement will fail, it's you against America and America will win!

I just finished watching Piers Morgan's interview with Sean Penn. I am thankfull to you, Mr. penn, for your years of service to our government in gathering and developing information gathered on intelligence missions. Your doctorates in political science must assist you in this field greatly. Also you MBAs and additional doctorates in international finance, plus all of the published works you have painstakingly researched are going to be a great boon to the restructuring of Wall Street. The fact that your foundation assists Haiti is admirable. The money you have made, and received, from various donors is certainly helping those in areas affected. And thank YOU Mr. Morgan, for such an enlightening expose'! Without your interview with Mr. Penn, we might have been in doubt of what pompous, self righteous morons you both are.

Piers – When are you going to change your ways, and get real? It is now 3 times in the last month, Morgan Freeman, Harry Belafonte, now Sean Penn all saying the Tea Party is racist. When are you going to get some cohones and challenge these people on their absurd racist notions. Sean Penn says, "get the N word out of the White House", please just once Piers ask these people the following: Isn't it possible to want Obama to be a one term president because you disagree with his policies, because he has been ineffective?? Millions of people wanted Jimmie Carter to be a one term President also, what would Sean Penn's answer to that be?? Will we ever know, or are you going to just faun over them??
I applaud Sean Penn's work in Haiti, but he has to stop the obsession with race, like his many liberal friends. The country has gotten beyond it many years ago. I spent most of my life in LA, where we had Tom Bradley for 5 terms as Mayor, and there was never a black majority in this city. Grow up Sean Penn & Piers Morgan!!

Here' a cause that would unify the marchers with Wall Street and the American people.

Warren Buffet recently said "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes, you just
pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more
than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible
for re-election

The Unifying Message for the marchers should be ACCOUNTABLITY.

American's have a right just like any employer to come up with goals and expectations. Our goals can be expressed in terms of the unemployment rate, deficity vs. GDP or even customer satisfaction on an individual basis with our leaders.

If they don't meet the expectations that either can't run again or can only run for one more term unless the problem is cured.

If I had ran into Sean Penn back in the 80'S, there would have been a fist fight.

I think Sean Penn has come a LONG way (as have I – trying to see the other side of things). He is much more balanced than in the past. And the man put's his money and his time where is mouth is.

He has earned my respect. He deserves yours.

Not part of the Tea Party, but know many who are. They are not racist, they do not hate. Their message is simple. Cut spending and no more increase taxes. Get our fiscal house in order. They are not 'to the right' as many think. They want cuts EVERYWHERE in our budget. And that includes in our military – understanding that the both wars need to come to an end. (Sean is wrong here).

Finally, I watched Mr. Morgan multipe times. He has proved himself to have an agenda – no problem with that, if you 'own up' to it.t. Done with him; but listening to Penn was worth putting up with Morgan.

Piers Morgan, sycophant to the stars. His continued obsequious flattery takes full flight from beginning to end. Where is Anderson Cooper when we need him? Even Erin Burnett will do. Show the door to Piers, the Poser.

Karl if you and the rest of your "tea party" / America have it all right then why is your country doing so economically well? You should stay at war and send as many citizens as you can off to fight in the desert so they can die fighting for your land of "freedom"!!!!

Sophie–why don't you read something besides Daily Kos or Democratic Underground? Why must you waste the time of intelligent people spewing your ignorance? This economy–such as it is–is entirely a product of policies by this administration that anyone with any sense of people and the incentives it takes to creates jobs could have told you would result in abject disaster. It doesn't have jack to do with the Tea Party–it has to do with a Democratic Congress that spent money like there was no tomorrow for four years (yes, they took Congress in 2006). So please, go spout your agitprop talking points someplace else. Those who can read and think for themselves know better.

I am pretty well educated (have two Masters degrees), have no negative feelings about any minorities and absolutely LOVE the Tea Party! This has NOTHING to do about race (look how the Tea Party is supporting Herman Cain!). It is about terrible leftist policies that are simply bankrupting this country! Unfortunately for Mr. Penn, this country will never become another Cuba or Venezuela socialist regime.. Mr. Penn would NEVER have enjoyed the personal success he has in the USA in either of those two countries. But now that he has his millions, he can go on criticizing the country that allowed and made it possible for him him to be successful? You just have to wonder at the guys childhood..
I was also extremely disappointed at Morgan Freeman's comments on Pier's show.. Suggesting that people jwant Obama out of the White House just because he is black is just so ridiculous... THAT is a racist comment! Nobody I know who wants Obama out wants him out for THAT reason, it is because he is driving the country into bankruptcy, THAT is why! Grow up Morgan!
This country was founded on the principles of personal freedom and free markets, not to be a total welfare State as Mr. Penn hungers for..

Sean's exactly right. The Tea Party wants the socialist NAIF that inhabits the White House out of there so this country can get back to work. The man who loves Chavez, Castro, and now Obama, pretends that he cares about America. What a loon.

Communist and Nazi Party Support Occupy Wall Street. So do Democrats. Not good!

vhttp://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/10/figures-nazi-party-throws-support-behind-occupy-wall-street-movement/
Figures. Nazi Party Throws Support Behind Occupy Wall Street Movement | The Gateway Pundit
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com
The American Nazi Party likes what it sees. Today the American Nazi Party released a statement in support of Occupy Wall Street movement.

Between Morgan Freeman, and now Sean Penn, it appears that Piers Morgan's shaow has now become a forum for all celebrities to bash the Tea Party or anything right of left , without fair debate by Mr. Morgan. Since Morgan's show has become the Stars for the DNC program, I choose to no longer tune in.......

Do a little research on Sean's "charity" and you'll see a typical liberal at work. Here's a link where his "charity" received $2.5 million from the Haitian government for his "charity" work: http://brand-haiti.org/2011/09/15/congratulations-to-sean-penn-and-jp-hro/. His "charity" also uses US government and non-governmental agencies and receives funding from a variety of them as well. AS usual, a lib has a good idea, but just can't stand to pay for it him/herself. So they put a little of their own money up to organize it and then apply for every government grant/program available so us eeeeevil taxpayers who don't want to pay "our fair share" can foot the bill for their warm fuzzies. Total crap and typical for a leftist.

Have you or a loved one been affected by cancers caused by cigarettes and tobacco? Have you been affected by the death of a loved one overseas fighting over foreign oil? Have you watched a loved one suffering traumatic side-effects or dying from pharmaceuticals?

Have you seen Congress make any effort to outlaw cigarettes and tobacco? Why? Because of tax revenue. Do you realize that we are living in a dangerous world where we are the only superpower able to defend ourselves and others? Have you seen the miracles of modern medicine and drugs? Welcome to the 99%. The fact is, this is the greatest country on the face of the earth and those who call themselves "the 99%" are really the 1% of this great nation who refuse to see and appreciate it. No, it's not perfect–yet. But we're further along than any other nation on the face of the earth.

My point is that if Congress deems smoking to be such a public health danger as to sue tobacco companies on the one hand and then continue to collect tax revenue on the other, then they have abdicated their responsibility to protect the public in favor of tax revenue. I'm all for outlawing cigarettes and tobacco. But don't let the politicians sit there and demonize it on the one hand while filling their hands with tax revenue from the sale of it on the other. It's like allowing Russian Roulette parlors open up across the country because the politicians can use the tax revenue to fund some other ridiculous scheme.

They cut him off right when he said, "We won't be denied because we've got our computers at home and we can make a lot of noise." Right on!!! That is the prevailing truth. And even if we don't have our computers we can stand on street corners and shout the truth if we have to.

No more Osama! Winding down 2 wars that the Bush administration had no exit strategy for. Domestic? Well, lets see....home sales are up, (not the temporary bubble the Romnesia followers are spewing), oh, new construction UP. Home Depot is rocking! Jobs, every jobless person that was made jobless under the Bush administration I know has gained meaningful employment in the last year. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Hope the Republican party gets the message you cannot win on lies and distorting reality. Hopefully MOST Americans think for themselves, and basically listen to their own voices. I have a lot of HOPE and have seen and experienced CHANGE I am thankful for. Could not be more proud of our White House and this country. I am in awe of what we were ALL able to accomplish and undo from the Bush 8 years, and the horrible position that administration put this nation's middle class into.

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